The oldest photographic society in the world, the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), has announced the recipients of its 2024 awards, including some highly memorable portrait and documentary work.
Top honours go to Dr Ingrid Pollard MBE, who receives the society’s Centenary Medal in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the art of photography.
A founding member of Autograph ABP (the Association of Black Photographers) Dr Pollard’s work evolved during the 1980s to use traditional genres such as portraiture and landscape to explore conventions and social constructs – particularly around themes such as race and identity (she also won the Hasselblad Prize this year).
RPS rewards work in new categories
The RPS introduced several new categories this year, with Samar Abu Elouf winning the Award for Photojournalism for her coverage of the carnage in Gaza. Her pictures really captures the depth of the destruction, as well as the awful human impact.
Covering the Gaza conflict took on a very painful and personal meaning for the photographer too, as some of her relations were killed in the Israeli attacks.
Meanwhile, AP contributor Caroline Mendelsohn was recognised for her sterling work encouraging young people to tell their stories through photography. Caroline won the Award for Photography with Young People.
Carolyn founded Through Our Lens during the pandemic, a workshop and mentoring programme that enables people to tell their stories through the medium of photography.
In addition, the Award for Editorial or Documentary Photography went to Darcy Padilla for her long-term projects on the trans-generational effects of socio-economic issues, and the Award for Fashion, Advertising and Commercial Photogrpahy went to British-Ghanian artist, Campbell Addy.
You can find out more about all the winners here.
From the RPS, November 11, 2024 (edited)
The recipients of The Royal Photographic Society Awards for 2024 have been announced with Dr Ingrid Pollard MBE, HonFRPS taking the most prestigious honour – The RPS Centenary Medal – in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the art of photography.
A founding member of Autograph ABP (the Association of Black Photographers) Pollards’ powerful photographic work evolved during the 1980’s to use traditional genres such as portraiture and landscape to explore conventions and social constructs – particularly around themes such as race and identity.
Dr Pollard has received many accolades throughout her career including previously receiving an Honorary Fellowship to the RPS in 2016, being nominated for the Turner Prize in 2022, appointed MBE in 2023, and recipient of the Hasselblad Award in 2024.
Now in their 146th year, The Royal Photographic Society Awards are the world’s longest running and most prestigious photography honours, recognising individuals working across both still and moving image. Rather than rewarding a single image, The Awards celebrate the photographers and recipients themselves; highlighting significant achievements, showcasing new and emerging talent and recognising notable contributions from RPS members across a range of categories that cover all genres and applications of photography, including moving image, new media, science and imaging, education, publishing, and curation
A number of new categories have been introduced for 2024 to better reflect the international photography community and the evolving focus and role of the RPS:
- The RPS Award for Photojournalism (Samar Abu Elouf)
Samar Abu Elouf is a Palestinian freelance award-winning photojournalist, she covers events where she lives, including stories about gender, women’s and children’s lives, and the consequences of war. Since 2010, she has worked as a freelance photojournalist on assignment for Reuters, The New York Times, and other news outlets. Abu Elouf documented the 2018–2019 Gaza border protests, also known as the Great March of Return.
She also worked with ZUMA Press to cover stories related to the COVID-19 pandemic for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and news agencies. In May 2021, on assignment for The New York Times, she covered the 11 days of fighting between Israel and Hamas that destroyed essential infrastructure and killed more than 230 people, including several of her own relatives. - The RPS Award for Editorial or Documentary Photography (Darcy Padilla)
Darcy Padilla is an associate professor of art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a member photographer of Agence VU’ in Paris. Known for her narrative photography, Padilla focuses on long-term projects that explore themes of struggle and the trans-generational effects of socio-economic issues. - The RPS Award for Fashion, Advertising and Commercial Photography (Campbell Addy)
Campbell Addy is a British-Ghanaian artist, photographer and director. Addy draws inspiration from his culturally diverse upbringing, this has informed an intricate discovery of the self and a unique eye. Since graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2016 Addy’s striking imagery has garnered him international success and awards including the 2021 Forbes 30 under 30 list and the British Fashion Awards in both 2018 & 19. His first monograph ‘Feeling Seen – the photographs of Campbell Addy’ debuted in 2022 to critical acclaim. - The RPS Award for Photography with Young People (Carolyn Mendelsohn)
Carolyn Mendelsohn is an artist and portrait photographer whose practice is rooted in telling stories and amplifying those quieter voices through co-produced portraits. She is recognised internationally for her portraits, and work with young people, including her portrait series, exhibition and book Being Inbetween, a series of portraits and stories of girls aged between 10-12.
Carolyn founded Through Our Lens, ( initially responding to the pandemic and working with young people on zoom ) a workshop and mentoring programme that enables people to tell their stories through the medium of photography.
Sir Brian Pomeroy CBE, ARPS Chair of the judging panel, comments: “While the 2024 RPS Awards recipients reflect the diversity and breadth of the international photographic community, they are all united in celebrating photography’s unique capacity to challenge societal perceptions and make complex issues both relatable and urgent.”
Simon Hill HonFRPS, RPS President, also comments: “The new award categories demonstrate how the Royal Photographic Society is evolving and showcase the powerful range of work being created within the photographic community. We are delighted to see such an impressive array of talent both nominated and acknowledged in all of the award categories.”
